American Friends of The Hebrew University Host 2018 Annual Leadership Education Forum (ALEF)
Ambassador Daniel Kurtzer Delivers Keynote Address
(PALM BEACH, Fla.) – National security, Middle East affairs and medical technological breakthroughs were top of mind during American Friends of the Hebrew University’s Annual Leadership Education Forum (ALEF). Nearly 200 people attended this year’s conference at the Four Seasons Resort in Palm Beach on Sunday, January 14, 2018.
Ambassador Daniel Kurtzer, the former United States Ambassador to Israel and Egypt as well as the former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs, delivered the keynote address, “Fork in the Road: Challenges Facing Israel and the United States in the Middle East.”
Asher Cohen, the new President of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, delivered the opening address., Following, “Ambassador’s Table: The Diplomat’s Views of Israel” with Ambassador Yossi Gal, Hebrew University’s Vice President for Advancement and External Relations and the former Israeli Ambassador to France and Monaco as well as Ambassador Kurtzer.
The afternoon got underway with a panel discussion on “New Pathways to Health and Healing: Advances in Medicine, Nutrition and Brain Sciences.” Dr. Aviv Merzer, the head of the Belgian Friends Laboratory for the Study of Neurogenerative Diseases, joined Dr. Aron Troen, head of the Nutrition and Brain Health Laboratory at the Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition along with Dr. Merav Stern, a recipient of the Mortimer Zuckerman STEM Leadership Program.
Dr. Yosi Tam, the Director of the Multidisciplinary Center on Cannabinoid Research, spoke on launching breakthroughs in human health.
Ambassador Kurtzer’s speech concluded the luncheon presentation and the educational day.
“Each year, we’re so grateful to our supporters in South Florida who value this conference and are so devoted to continuing their contributions to the Hebrew University,” said Laura Abrams, Associate Executive Director of the American Friends of the Hebrew University.
Forging a meaningful partnership between American Jewry and the people of Israel, American Friends ofthe Hebrew University helps to ensure the nation’s well-being by nurturing Israel’s greatest asset: the intellectual strength of its people. Today the University has a student body of 23,000, a faculty of more than 1,000 and attracts students from Israel as well as from 70 countries around the world.
For more information on the Annual Leadership Education Forum, please reach Laura Abrams at 561-750-8585 or LAbrams@afhu.org or visit www.afhu.org
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